A WANTED man who failed to attend court to be sentenced for conning a pensioner was found by a police dog hiding under floor boards.

As reported in the Lancashire Telegraph earlier this month, Charlie Smith was found guilty of conning 87-year-old Mary Chew out of more than £250 after turning up out of the blue to power-wash her drive

Smith's brother, Anthony, pleaded guilty to fraud and theft for his role in the scam, which involved him taking Mrs Chew's to the bank so she could withdraw more money to pay for a weed killer solution.

The pair were due to be sentenced at Burnley Crown Court on Wednesday but the case was adjourned after Charlie Smith failed to show.

That sparked a police manhunt, involving the newly-formed Pendle neighbourhood policing team taskforce, which resulted in the discovery of Charlie hiding under the floorboards of a house in Barnoldswick.

A police spokesman said: "Officers from the taskforce have made numerous attempts to locate and arrest Charlie Smith who was found guilty at court of defrauding an 87-year-old female on October 9 however Smith failed to attend court for sentencing.

"Officers thought they searched an address thoroughly but still believed that Smith was hiding nearby. Police dog Zorro and handler have soon assisted whereby PD Zorro has indicated a human scent underneath the floorboards of an address. Officers have dismantled the flooring where Charlie Smith was located and subsequently arrested. A female has also been arrested for obstructing the police in regards to this incident.

"Smith will now appear before the courts for sentencing."